August 7, 2014: Sports & Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/7/2014
Without getting overly sentimental, it’s great fun to contemplate just what an unopened case of 1976 Topps Vending Boxes might hold. America’s Bicentennial year was a gala time for looking back; almost four decades later the prospect of finding second-year cards of George Brett and Robin Yount in the very same condition that they came off the presses, or maybe Hank Aaron’s final regular-issue Topps card at the close of his glorious career is something to behold. With 24 vending boxes (500 cards in each), all boasting of the kind of pristine condition that can typically only be fantasized about with vintage material, the fun doesn’t stop with a Hall of Fame roster that includes Brooks Robinson, Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver and Pete Rose (no quibbling about his HOF status, please). There also are coveted pasteboards from an array of popular subsets that Topps unveiled that year, including Record Breakers, League Leaders, Father-Son Specials, Team Cards and the unique All-Time Leaders subset that allowed the venerable baseball card producer to make “modern” pasteboards of the likes of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Lou Gehrig and even Honus Wagner. There’s no gum in vending boxes, and obviously no cigarettes either, so there’s nothing for Wagner’s descendants to be offended about. With that kind of firepower, the prospect of sending an armada of big names off for third-party authentication and awaiting solemn pronouncements of perfection is something to contemplate indeed. Original factory seals intact with typical outer box wear.
1976 Topps Baseball Vending Unopened CASE
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This lot has a Reserve Price that has not been met.